Explore Everyday Health

Save

A Guide to Using a Nicotine Inhaler

If the thought of not smoking is making you crazy, maybe you should ask your doctor for a nicotine inhaler prescription. Of all the nicotine replacement therapies, this one comes closest to mimicking the act of smoking.

Sign Up for Our Healthy Living Newsletter

Thanks for signing up!

The nicotine inhaler is the form of nicotine replacement therapy that best replicates the sensation of smoking a cigarette, something that some smokers find helpful in dealing with nicotine cravings. The inhaler, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998, has a thin plastic tube, much like a cigarette holder, through which the smoker inhales a dose of nicotine from a cartridge.

The nicotine inhaler is available by prescription only. It can be bought under the brand name Nicotrol Inhaler, and the average retail cost is about $45 for a package of 42 nicotine cartridges. If you use the maximum of 16 cartridges allowed per day, this method could run about $17 per day.

How the Nicotine Inhaler Is Used

The nicotine inhaler looks like a cross between a cigarette and an asthma inhaler, but it should not be used like either one. You should not draw the nicotine vapor into your lungs because it will deliver too much nicotine to your system too quickly and cause side effects. Instead, you draw the nicotine vapor into your mouth, where it will be absorbed into the bloodstream by the mucous membranes in the mouth and larynx.

To properly use a nicotine inhaler, you should:

Fit a nicotine cartridge to the end of the cigarette-like mouthpiece.

Lightly puff on the mouthpiece, drawing nicotine into your mouth.

To get the best effect, puff frequently for up to 20 minutes. This will deliver 4 milligrams (mg) of nicotine into your mouth, although only 2 mg will be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Because the inhaler is used so differently, you might want to try it out in the presence of your pharmacist when you pick up your first prescription.

How Much Nicotine Should You Inhale?

The FDA-recommended dose of a nicotine inhaler is between 6 and 16 cartridges a day for up to 6 months.

Each cartridge contains approximately 400 puffs of nicotine vapor and is designed to last for about 20 minutes of puffing. You can either puff until the whole cartridge is gone, or puff for a few minutes until your craving passes. You should try both ways to see which method works best for you.

After you've used your nicotine inhaler for about three months, your body should begin to adjust to not smoking and your doctor might decide to gradually decrease your nicotine dose over the next 6 to 12 weeks.

The Pros and Cons of the Nicotine Inhaler

The nicotine inhaler has several positives:

The nicotine inhaler is effective in helping you quit smoking. Studies have found that when smokers use the nicotine inhaler they are 1.7 to 3.6 times more likely to resist nicotine cravings and remain smoke-free, when compared with smokers using a placebo.

Because you hold it in your hand and puff on it, the nicotine inhaler mimics the act of smoking. Smokers can find that hand-to-mouth ritual reassuring, particularly in dealing with the psychological aspects of tobacco addiction.

There are a few negatives associated with the nicotine inhaler:

You may experience some side effects, particularly when you first start using it. These include:

Coughing

Throat and mouth irritation

Upset stomach

Runny nose

Changes in your sense of taste

Headaches

Another drawback is the price. The nicotine inhaler is the most expensive of the nicotine replacement therapy products currently on the market.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you have heart disease, asthma, a breathing disorder like emphysema or chronic bronchitis, circulation problems, diabetes, ulcers, or high blood pressure. Do not use any nicotine replacement therapies during pregnancy because they could harm the fetus.

If you can afford the relatively high cost of the nicotine inhaler, it may help you save money in the long run, on cigarettes you won't be buying and on future health care costs.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.